Mahtook was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 31st pick in the first round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, two spots from the 33rd and final pick.

"It's an awesome experience for me. I'm very excited," said Mahtook, who had a career .344 batting averaged and helped the Tigers to the 2009 national championship as a freshman center fielder.

"It was very nerve-wracking. You never know what's going to happen. I was sitting here anxious and nervous all day. When I finally saw my name picked it was kind of a relief. I walked out of the room a couple of times to clear my head. I had a mixed reaction; I didn't jump up and down, but I was really excited and had a big grin on my face. The first person I hugged was my mom."

Mahtook was the fourth outfielder picked in the first round and the second of three first-round picks by the Rays.

Tampa Bay picked right-handed pitcher Taylor Guerrieri of Spring Valley (S.C.) High School with the 24th pick and shortstop Jake Hager of Sierra Vista (Nev.) High School one pick after Mahtook.

"It's a good organization with a lot of success in the past few years and a good track record for developing talent in the minor leagues," Mahtook said.

Mahtook, a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and a first-team All-SEC selection, became the 15th LSU player to be picked in the first round. He's the 12th since 1989, when pitcher Ben McDonald was the first overall selection by the Baltimore Orioles.

Mahtook had a big year this season -- a .383 batting average, 14 homers and 56 RBIs. He was at or near the top of the SEC in nearly every offensive category, leading the conference in slugging percentage (.709), walks (41), triples (five) and steals (29). He was second in batting average, homers, total bases (139), on base percentage (.496) and runs score, and third in RBI.

"The thing stat stands out about him is the intangibles," said former Cleveland Indian general manager John Hart, a Major League Baseball Network analyst. "He plays the game hard. He's a relentless player, a solid everyday player that's going to help a club. This guy is going to hit. His other tools are strong."

In his last 15 games, he batted .441 and finished his college career with a streak of 70 consecutive games reaching base, including all 56 last season. Those accomplishments came despite NCAA mandated bat standards that made the metals bats react more like wood.

As a freshman, Mahtook helped LSU to the NCAA title. He batted .296 in the College World Series, with the game winning hit in Game 1 of the championship round against Texas and a three-run homer in a victory over Arkansas.

He had a career batting average of .344 at LSU. He is No. 2 all time at LSU in triples with 12 and No. 5 all-time with 60 steals. His late father, Mike, and his uncle, Robbie, both played football at LSU.

Mahtook could earn a seven-figure signing bonus for being picked in the first round. Tampa Bay picked in the 31st spot last year and chose catcher Justin O'Connor, who received $1.025 million. But the Rays had 10 total picks on the first day, which means there won't be as much money to go around for bonuses.

Mahtook wasn't the only player drafted who is affiliated with LSU. Prep recruit Trevor Story, a right-handed pitcher from Irving, Texas, was the 45th overall selection by the Colorado Rockies.

The draft continues today with rounds two through 30 and Wednesday rounds 31-50. Both sessions start at 11 a.m.